Start by marking “Style on a Shoestring: Develop Your Cents of Style and Look Like a Million Without Spending a Fortune: Develop Your Cents of Style and Look Like a Million Without Spending a Fortune” as Want to Read:

Bag the bargains and glam it up--go from frumpy to fabulous style without wounding your wallet!

Everyone knows a woman who turns heads with her captivating style. Her clothes fit her body perfectly, her use of color is compelling, her shoes are to die for, and her accessories make her whole outfit pop with panache. Is she a fashion-industry insider? A millionaire? If she'sBag the bargains and glam it up--go from frumpy to fabulous style without wounding your wallet!

Everyone knows a woman who turns heads with her captivating style. Her clothes fit her body perfectly, her use of color is compelling, her shoes are to die for, and her accessories make her whole outfit pop with panache. Is she a fashion-industry insider? A millionaire? If she's smart, chances are she's a value vixen who's learned which styles best fit her figure, how to navigate the sales rack, and how to put together a look that's fashionably fabulous. With" Style on a Shoestring" as your guide, you willl learn how to have a great "cents of style"-without breaking the bank. This book teaches you the skills to give yourself a complete makeover, including: How to make a $5 thrift-store find look like a $500 designer deal Getting wardrobe wreckers out of your closet and reworking the frocks you already have Finding the right denim, bra, tops-even the dreaded bathing suit--for your body What time, day, and month to pounce on the best bargains Which colors minimize figure flaws and showcase the good stuff...more

Community Reviews

My wardrobe is slim pickin's on the best of days. The horrible part about being 5'9" and recently losing over 40lbs is that I officially have nothing to wear and I hate shopping for new stuff because it is so hard to get a good fit on my frame. Since I've been on leave, I've kept to casual basics and I have lots of jeans and hoodies to get me by. Unfortunately, my impending return to work in May has me shaking in my boots (well, not really - my boots ARE actually work appropriate). As I am plottMy wardrobe is slim pickin's on the best of days. The horrible part about being 5'9" and recently losing over 40lbs is that I officially have nothing to wear and I hate shopping for new stuff because it is so hard to get a good fit on my frame. Since I've been on leave, I've kept to casual basics and I have lots of jeans and hoodies to get me by. Unfortunately, my impending return to work in May has me shaking in my boots (well, not really - my boots ARE actually work appropriate). As I am plotting out exactly what I need to build my work wardrobe, I realized I have next to nothing that will work. Off to my personal library I went in search of my "fashion helpers" and I dusted off this little gem.

Andy Paige credits herself for being a Thrifty Diva and this book is chock full of tips and tricks to maximize your wardrobe building budget. From how to fit yourself properly for a bra to what essentials a gal needs to work with, she fills up this relatively quick read with lots of handy helpers. She maps out very clearly what you need to do to build a quality wardrobe that makes you look and feel fabulous!

This was the second time I have read this book and, again, I found it quite entertaining. She does have a tendency to be a little over-enthusiastic, but that never hurt anyone. I particularly love the shopping calendar she lays out to explain when the best times to shop for certain items are to help you maximize your budget. It is a fun read and I definitely feel better equipped to hit the stores in a week or two to see what I can do to get myself outfitted for work again. Best of all, Gap just announced a Give & Get campaign so I have a 30% off coupon just waiting for me to use in a couple of weekends (don't worry, I'll post the link closer to the date so you all can take advantage too). With Andy's help - I have a shopping list ready to go and, though I might dread it, I am at least prepared to do what needs to be done. Wish me luck!

This book is a straight forward look at fashion and how to shop.She covers some of the basics of timeless fashion. She explains how to make sure garments fit well. She explains the difference between designer and budget clothing. She gives a calendar of when to buy what sort of item and where to find good bargains. She even goes over cleaning out your closet. Overall it was a good book.

I enjoyed this little gem. While I am not planning to overthrow my wardrobe for the sophisticated wardrobe she writes about, I will take some ideas. Here's one: richer looking colors (darker colors, but not black) look better and well, richer, on us. I looked into my closet and all I see is pastels (pinks and blues) and lots of black. She recommends not wearing black (at least not as a top) and not buying pale, paste colors. I am always drawn to them. And then I think of people I know with greatI enjoyed this little gem. While I am not planning to overthrow my wardrobe for the sophisticated wardrobe she writes about, I will take some ideas. Here's one: richer looking colors (darker colors, but not black) look better and well, richer, on us. I looked into my closet and all I see is pastels (pinks and blues) and lots of black. She recommends not wearing black (at least not as a top) and not buying pale, paste colors. I am always drawn to them. And then I think of people I know with great clothes and they are wearing those plums and golds and turquoise and coral colors...so next time I shop, I will look for different colors!Lots of ideas in here like that. Worth a read if you care anything about looking stylish. ...more

Fashion books without pictures to help illustrate concepts are normal something that I avoid. However, I was in a hurry and picked this book up as part of a large stack from the library. I am so glad that I did. There are some great tips, many of which I hadn't heard before. The duct tape bra tip alone is worth reading this book. The only thing that I really had a hard time with was the way in which the author kept referring to breast as "boobies." It was ridiculous. As a grown woman trying to gFashion books without pictures to help illustrate concepts are normal something that I avoid. However, I was in a hurry and picked this book up as part of a large stack from the library. I am so glad that I did. There are some great tips, many of which I hadn't heard before. The duct tape bra tip alone is worth reading this book. The only thing that I really had a hard time with was the way in which the author kept referring to breast as "boobies." It was ridiculous. As a grown woman trying to give serious advice you should talk like an authority not a 12 year old at a sleep over. ...more

Although there are some very useful pointers in this book, I found that the author was very rigid in her view of what constituted a stylish outfit. Rather than directing a woman to develop her own unique style, I felt there was a "my way or the highway" feel to achieving a style. It was too cookie cutter for me. With that said, there was good information to be gleaned between the rants: the importance of support wear and the timing of sales. That was worth the Kindle price!

My sister gave this to me, I think to drop subtle hints. That being said, I read it and enjoyed it. First off, it was nice to learn that I follow about 75% of her suggestions; my main problems being accessories (shoes, jewelry, bags, etc). Second, just the general tips on how to get the best jeans and making sure a button shirt fit are great. You know a shirt doesn't fit you well, but now you can understand why! Anyhow, I enjoyed it. If anything it motivated me enhance my wardrobe.

Andy Paige is clearly an expert on clothing, therefore she has written this wonderful book. The most appealing point of reading this book is the mark-down-calendar dates! Some examples would be buying boots in January, Winter white in february, luggage in april, and oh so much more. I agree that there was a lack in editing, although that made the book seem oh so much more interesting to read. She gives the basics for what every woman should know. Really :D

I don't know why I'm persisting with these style books...possibly been watching too much of TLc's What not to wear. I think I got tricked into buying this, didn't read too much in detail- I just did a search for Clinton Kelly and this was the first pop-up but it's by another author. Totally my fault. Anyway there are some useful tidbits on color coordination, accessorizing etc. but still not worth it. Note to self: no more style guides!

3.75 stars. There is a lot of useful information on how clothes should fit from the point of view from someone who actually sews. I like how she makes the reader feel good about what they have, no matter what age they are or size they are. I found some good tips on when to buy what and when.

In a nutshell: This is how to look great with what your mamma gave ya without having to go into debt or sell crack.

Did this have an editor? The writing was distractingly bad at times. Lists of rules are not that fun or appealing (e.g., "you have to wear lipstick"), but there were some interesting/useful parts, like what times of year certain things tend to go on sale. A decent "take it with a grain of salt" book for ideas and useful bits of information.

I've been dipping my toe into the fashion blog world and decided to read a book on the subject of style. Easy read that I almost finished while waiting at the Dr's office. Plenty of useful advice for the fashion clueless, though as with any advice you need to sift through the obvious and the comments that doe not apply to you.